About B on Hawaii

Culinary

Part of the “magic” of living in (or visiting) Hawaii is the multi-cultural fabric that weaves through each of our communities. On September 25, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii will honor five members of this community as both significant contributors to Hawaii as well as Japanese icons. The theme is “Kakushin No Tatsujin!

It’s that time of year again: The 11th annual Taste of Kapolei is an outdoor food and wine frenzy on Oahu’s leeward coast that features the cuisine of dozens of island chefs. With live entertainment under the stars and tastings of wine not typically attainable through public channels, the “Taste” commences on Saturday, September 18, 2010, at 5:30 p.m.

There are those who think of that morning cup o’ joe as something more than a quick pick-me-up. Coffee—especially to those of us who have explored the “kona typica” varietals that thrive here in Hawai`i—can be as intricate as a fine wine to the right palate. And while many know that we’re blessed with the only coffee-producing region in North America, not as many are aware that farmers throughout Hawai`i have “stepped it up” over the last decade.

Every June, we return home from Maui with a renewed spirit. This, thanks to Barry Rivers and the crew who put on the absolutely stellar Maui Film Festival—a one-of-a-kind experience that allows film buffs to screen big budget (and some not so) movies at venues that include the outdoor Celestial Cinema and SandDance Theater.

We're a sucker for a good wine dinner: The eloquent musings of a celebrated chef, extrapolating the nuances (or how he perceives them) from a flight of wines and crafting a menu around a notion. However, it isn't every day that you hear about a beer tasting. Mark your calendars for 6:00 p.m.

If you need an excuse to get out and eat on Maui, then here it is: Restaurant Week is back at Wailea, and the deals abound between Sunday, May 23 and Saturday, May 29, 2010. In addition, a portion of every prix-fixe menu at the sixteen participating restaurants will go towards feeding the hungry at Maui Food Bank.

Maui lovers rejoice! Perhaps one of the best "steals" out there in the accommodations scene is the newly announced kama`aina rates (for local residents) at the Kapalua Villas. Now managed by Outrigger Resorts, the Villas are currently being offered at $159 per night.

Mother's Day is approaching on Sunday, May 9, and Halekulani executive chef Vikram Garg wants you to help mom ring in her awesomeness with a four-course, not-to-be-missed lunch at the hotel's award-winning La Mer. If your salivary glands don't perk up after reading the following menu, then please move on to reading another magazine, entirely.

A Furlough Friday Event For Families, plus Wine Dinners and more at his Lahaina Eatery

It is one thing for a celebrated chef to participate in community events; yet it's quite another for him to draw attention to educating our children (at a time when The State doesn't care to) while spotlighting the sustainable farm system.